Have we had a proper spine in recent memory?

[Mofra]

Woofers,

It's no secret we've struggled for talls for many years.
The last real no 1 KPF that we developed was Chris Grant - and during his time he was often sent to defence due to a lack of height (and/or quality), especially if Crofty was missing.

We've endured Southern & Kretiuk being played as talls despite their (lack of) height.
We've witnessed Williams watching from the sidelines as we've had to play Morris on taller opponents.
We've had Johnno at barely 6 foot perform as our no 1 target for years with little aerial support, with 188cm Hahn or Murphy playing at CHF.

So how far back do we go to find a decent Bulldogs line-up that included a quality FF, CHF, CHB & FB?

I'd guess during the 80s we have Beasley, Foster & Kennedy for a while - is that the best we can muster?

[Greystache]

I can't remember one in my lifetime, which is pretty depressing.

To put it into context, we've drafted only 3 players over 190cm in the past 20 years to play 100+ games. Luke Darcy, Brian Lake, and Will Minson, and only 2 of them are actually key position players, and Darcy was a F/s obviously. That's an entire generation from 1996 to 2008 (when we drafted Roughead) with only 1 key position player to make a decent fist of a career. Statistically it should be near impossible to get that few right.

[Mofra]

I can't remember one in my lifetime, which is pretty depressing.

To put it into context, we've drafted only 3 players over 190cm in the past 20 years to play 100+ games. Luke Darcy, Brian Lake, and Will Minson, and only 2 of them are actually key position players, and Darcy was a F/s obviously. That's an entire generation from 1996 to 2008 (when we drafted Roughead) with only 1 key position player to make a decent fist of a career. Statistically it should be near impossible to get that few right.
Hooley Dooley :(

I'm confident that Jones & Roughy will break that, and obviously tall mid-types will get there (including Stringer).
Williams would have made it if the body allowed.

Edit: Dale Morris & Shaggy?

[Sedat]

Hooley Dooley :(

I'm confident that Jones & Roughy will break that, and obviously tall mid-types will get there (including Stringer).
Williams would have made it if the body allowed.

Edit: Dale Morris & Shaggy?
He wasn't much chop either :D

That is a sobering list of almost apocalyptic failure by our recruiters in that time. Darcy really shouldn't count as he was drafted in 1992.

[always right]

Croft, Ellis, West. Grant, Cook

[bornadog]

Croft, Ellis, West. Grant, Cook

Croft and Ellis were undersized but did a great job.

Can't think of too many more other than the 80's teams.

[Greystache]

Croft and Ellis were undersized but did a great job.

Can't think of too many more other than the 80's teams.

I don't know why Croft is always thrown up as being undersized. 191cm and 94kg was perfectly acceptable for the day. Chris Grant and Wayne Carey were 192cm and 97kg and they were the big key forwards of their day. Croft was more than adequately matched against his opponents.

[bornadog]

I don't know why Croft is always thrown up as being undersized. 191cm and 94kg was perfectly acceptable for the day. Chris Grant and Wayne Carey were 192cm and 97kg and they were the big key forwards of their day. Croft was more than adequately matched against his opponents.

Not when he was up against guys like Richardson (195cm), Rocca (195cm) to name a few.

[Bulldog4life]

He wasn't much chop either :D

That is a sobering list of almost apocalyptic failure by our recruiters in that time. Darcy really shouldn't count as he was drafted in 1992.

Plus he was father/son selection too.

[Twodogs]

Woofers,

It's no secret we've struggled for talls for many years.
The last real no 1 KPF that we developed was Chris Grant - and during his time he was often sent to defence due to a lack of height (and/or quality), especially if Crofty was missing.

We've endured Southern & Kretiuk being played as talls despite their (lack of) height.
We've witnessed Williams watching from the sidelines as we've had to play Morris on taller opponents.
We've had Johnno at barely 6 foot perform as our no 1 target for years with little aerial support, with 188cm Hahn or Murphy playing at CHF.

So how far back do we go to find a decent Bulldogs line-up that included a quality FF, CHF, CHB & FB?

I'd guess during the 80s we have Beasley, Foster & Kennedy for a while - is that the best we can muster?


With Sewell at CHF and Wally in the guts. That's the closest I can muster.

The '54 premiership team had a fair goal to goal line. Henderson, Whitten, Ross, Box, Collins. That's a Brownlow medalist, a Coleman medalist, the best player of all time and a Hall Of Fame inductee. Not too shabby. Maybe there's a lesson in there somewhere?

[Torpedo]

Around 1972 we had a team of giants with Barry Round, Gary Dempsey, Bernie Quinlan, Robbie McGhie, Peter Welsh, Ian Salmon - all I would reckon over 192cm. They were an impressive sight running on to the ground.

[Mofra]

Around 1972 we had a team of giants with Barry Round, Gary Dempsey, Bernie Quinlan, Robbie McGhie, Peter Welsh, Ian Salmon - all I would reckon over 192cm. They were an impressive sight running on to the ground.
That may be close to our midfield at times next year - Minson, Stringer, Macrae and Bonti

Some big boys there

[bulldogtragic]

Sir
Nicholson
Lane
Campbell
Charles
Dooley

???